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    Changes to Phlebotomy services

    ‘Walk in’ phlebotomy tests for patients referred by their GPs will no longer be provided at St George’s Hospital in Tooting from 31 October 2016.

    We need to reduce footfall and the number of clinics in the Lanesborough Wing at St George’s Hospital. This is because we currently have a high volume of patients, staff and clinics in the Lanesborough Wing at St George’s Hospital, which can lead to overcrowding in waiting and clinic areas.

    Some urology clinics have already been moved to Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton, and we are now ceasing to operate GP-referred outpatients phlebotomy clinics in the Lanesborough Wing.

    Following discussions with Wandsworth and Merton Clinical Commissioning Groups, alternative arrangements will be in place in community locations, often closer to patients’ homes.

    In Merton, we will operate Phlebotomy clinics in The Nelson Health Centre.

    In Wandsworth, the service will be provided in the community by the GP Federation at various GP practices. The service will also be available at St John’s Therapy Centre in Battersea, and Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton.

    We will continue to collect samples from existing and new community settings and analyse Phlebotomy tests at St George’s Hospital.

    Children’s Phlebotomy test services continue to be provided at the Dragon Children’s Outpatient Centre at St George’s Hospital and are unaffected.

    General Information

    Blood tests are used to help diagnose your illness and monitor your treatment. We understand that some people find them unpleasant and we aim to treat everyone with care, consideration, privacy and dignity.

    Remember that we can only perform a blood test if you bring your request forms or order sheets with you. If your GP has referred you, please check that your personal details are correct on the request form. If they are not, please notify your GP. If you do not do this before arriving for your test, you may be delayed or sent back to your GP.

    If your doctor has asked you to fast before your blood test please do not eat or drink anything except for water on the day of the test.

    Please tell the phlebotomist if you have had any problems with previous blood tests such as feeling faint or if you are taking medication that thins your blood such as warfarin or aspirin.

    When you enter the blood test room, a member of staff will check your forms. One blood test request may require several different tubes of blood but these can all be taken from a single skin puncture.

    After the blood has been taken, you will be asked to apply pressure to the site to minimise the risk of bruising and a dressing will be applied. The dressing should be removed after 30 minutes and you should avoid heavy lifting with that arm for several hours.

    A small bruise may occur after your test, due to blood leaking from the punctured vein and collecting under the skin. This is normal and will disappear after a few days in the same way that any other bruise does.

    The phlebotomist is trained to take your blood but not to discuss your blood tests or medical condition.

    Most blood test results are returned to the requesting doctor within a week. Results are not returned to the blood test room.

    We try to see everyone as quickly as possible and our aim is to ensure that no one waits longer than an hour but delays can occur for a number of reasons including emergencies. Our busiest times are in the mornings and on Wednesday afternoons, so if possible and your test is routine, you may prefer to attend outside of these sessions.

    Appointments are not necessary as we operate a ticketing system and are open at the following locations and times: